Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What application security risk is demonstrated when an attacker impersonates a user using a sniffer to capture session data?

1. A2 - Broken authentication

2. Cross-Site Scripting

3. Session Management

4. URL Manipulation

The correct answer is: A2 - Broken authentication

The situation described highlights a significant risk in application security known as broken authentication. When an attacker uses a sniffer to capture session data, they are effectively stealing the session tokens or credentials that authenticate a user. This allows them to impersonate the legitimate user and gain unauthorized access to their account or sensitive information. Broken authentication occurs when an application incorrectly manages the process of user identities and their respective authentication credentials. For example, if session tokens are insufficiently protected during their transmission, an attacker can intercept these tokens and subsequently access user accounts without proper authorization. This illustrates a flaw in the authentication mechanism of the application, making it vulnerable to session hijacking attacks. In contrast, the other options represent different types of vulnerabilities or risks. Cross-Site Scripting involves injecting malicious scripts into content from trusted websites, leading to exploitation in the context of user interactions. Session management refers more broadly to how a web application handles user sessions overall and not just the attack aspect described. URL manipulation involves changing parameters in the URL to access unauthorized resources but does not specifically relate to the interception of session data. Each of these options addresses distinct security concerns that do not encapsulate the essence of an attacker impersonating a user through captured session data.